JP2023108969A - Taxi server apparatus and taxi dispatch system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a taxi server apparatus and a taxi dispatch system for facilitating securing of transportation means for a customer using an accommodation facility or the like to move to the facility and providing useful services that improves cost burden and convenience on the facility side.SOLUTION: In a taxi dispatch system 100, a server 10 issues a taxi coupon and a taxi ticket coupon code that can be associated with the location of a receiving facility 30 and sells them to the receiving facility 30. The receiving facility 30 distributes the coupons or the like to customers who have reserved them, and when the customers present the coupons or the like in a taxi, the server 10 authenticates legitimacy of the coupon code. The server 10 calculates the expected time for the taxi corresponding to the successfully authenticated coupon code to arrive at the receiving facility 30, which is the destination, and notifies the terminals 31 and 32 of the receiving facility 30 of the expected time and notifies the terminals of a customer's name who is scheduled to arrive, a taxi company, and vehicle information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a taxi server device and a taxi dispatch system.

For example, when an individual or a company employee, etc. travels or goes on a business trip, in order to secure a hotel or inn as a necessary facility for accommodation, make a reservation for the facility in advance or move to the facility. It is necessary to secure necessary means of transportation.

For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a vehicle operation support method that makes it possible to easily reserve a vehicle when using a vehicle for a business trip, a trip, or the like.
In addition, Patent Document 2 discloses that even when a traveler makes a package reservation for transportation and accommodation facilities at a travel agency, even when the transportation and accommodation facilities are individually booked, the arrival schedule when the transportation is delayed Disclosed is a reservation interlocking system that enables notification of the time to lodging facilities and the like.

In addition, Patent Document 3 discloses a travel reservation system that uses a website to greatly expand the degree of freedom of user selection and enables reservation of a package tour at a low price in a short period of time with excellent operability. It discloses a support system.
Further, Patent Document 4 discloses a technology for a social networking service that provides individual overseas travelers with hotel information around the world and realizes a reservation service.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-323473 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-78103 JP 2006-146439 A JP-A-2009-93603

By the way, if the facility is located near a major railway station, for example, it is very easy for travelers and the like to secure means of transportation necessary to use the facility. However, in the case of a facility that has relatively few tourists and is located in a poor location, such as a local tourist spot, the means of transportation necessary to move from the main railway station to the location of the facility in question difficult to secure. Moreover, when a traveler uses a taxi from a station to move to a target facility, the traveler needs to pay a relatively high taxi fare for the movement.

Therefore, in the case of a facility located in a bad location, it is difficult to improve convenience for customers such as travelers without using a dedicated transportation vehicle such as a microbus owned by the facility. However, if the facility always maintains a dedicated transportation vehicle or employs a dedicated driver, a large cost burden is incurred.

For example, on the side of facilities such as hotels and inns, it is possible to grasp to some extent the action schedule of employees who provide customer service to customers who have made reservations in advance, based on the customer's reservation status. However, in reality, there are cases where the customer arrives at the facility at a time that is off schedule by, for example, several hours due to the convenience of the customer or delays in transportation means. As a result, the facility side may have to wait for the customer who arrives later than planned, and the corresponding employee has to wait unnecessarily, which may result in a heavy burden.

On the other hand, customers who want to use lodging facilities, such as travelers, prefer to use such facilities, even if they are located in poor locations, if they can secure means of transportation without incurring large costs. Many people want to use it repeatedly. However, for example, when a public route bus or the like is used as a means of transportation, there is a high possibility that the waiting time will be long, which reduces convenience.
In the case of various facilities other than lodging facilities, there are problems similar to those described above.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to facilitate the securing of transportation means for customers using various facilities to move to the facilities, and to reduce the cost burden on the facility side. To provide a taxi server device and a taxi dispatch system useful for improving convenience and convenience.

The above objects of the present invention are achieved by the following configurations.

a coupon code issuing unit for issuing a coupon code for using a taxi or a coupon code including information capable of identifying the location of a reception facility that accepts taxi users;
a communication unit capable of communicating with equipment in a taxi;
a code authentication unit that authenticates the legitimacy of the coupon code received from the device in the taxi via the communication unit;
a time notifying unit for notifying at least the estimated time of arrival of the applicable taxi at the destination to the terminal of the relevant receiving facility for the valid coupon code successfully authenticated by the code authenticating unit;
A taxi server device comprising:

In-taxi equipment arranged in the taxi,
A facility-side device that can be used by a reception facility that accepts taxi users,
a server capable of communicating between the equipment in the taxi and the equipment on the facility side;
has
a first transmission processing unit for transmitting a coupon code issued by the server to the facility device in response to a request from the facility device;
a second transmission processing unit for transmitting the coupon code received by the facility-side device from the server to the user of the receiving facility;
a code authentication unit that, when the device in the taxi acquires the coupon code from the taxi user, authenticates the legitimacy of the corresponding coupon code on the server side;
a time notifying unit for notifying at least the estimated time of arrival of the applicable taxi at the destination to the terminal of the relevant receiving facility for the valid coupon code successfully authenticated by the code authenticating unit;
taxi dispatch system.

According to the taxi server device and the taxi dispatch system of the present invention, customers using various facilities can easily secure transportation means for moving to the facilities, and the cost burden and convenience on the facility side can be improved. . In other words, by using taxi coupons with assigned coupon codes, facilities can provide customers with a relatively low-cost and highly convenient means of transportation without having to maintain dedicated transportation vehicles or drivers. can provide. Furthermore, since the facility side can grasp the expected arrival time of the customer with relatively high accuracy, wasteful waiting time for customer service can be reduced and efficient customer service becomes possible.

The present invention has been briefly described above. Furthermore, the details of the present invention will be further clarified by reading the following detailed description of the invention (hereinafter referred to as "embodiment") with reference to the accompanying drawings. .

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing configuration example-1 of a taxi dispatch system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing configuration example-2 of the taxi dispatch system according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing configuration example-3 of the taxi dispatch system according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a taximeter. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a soft meter. FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram showing flow-1 at the time of purchasing a coupon when using the taxi dispatch system. FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram showing flow-2 at the time of purchasing a coupon when using the taxi dispatch system. FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram showing the flow of processing when a taxi user uses a coupon ticket. FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing an operation example of the server. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing an example of a moving route on a road map. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing an operation example of the taxi dispatch system.

Specific embodiments relating to the present invention will be described below with reference to each drawing.

<Configuration example-1>
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing configuration example-1 of a taxi dispatch system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The taxi dispatch system 100 shown in FIG. 1 can provide highly convenient functions when users using various facilities 30 use the taxi vehicle 20 to move. As a specific representative example of the facility 30, an accommodation facility such as a hotel or an inn is assumed. Of course, it can also be used in various facilities other than lodging facilities, such as restaurants.

A taxi dispatch system 100 shown in FIG. 1 includes a server 10 capable of providing important functions, which will be described later, through communication services. This server 10 is equipped with a coupon system 11 for the purpose of using a taxi. The coupon system 11 includes a route search program 12 , a usage authentication program 13 , a notification distribution program 14 and a database (DB) 15 .

The route search program 12 has a function of searching a road map for an appropriate travel route for a taxi user to travel from a certain point to a destination. The usage authentication program 13 has a function of issuing taxi coupons and a function of authenticating the validity of each issued coupon. The notification distribution program 14 has a function of distributing various kinds of information to facilities that are customers of the communication service.

The database 15 includes a vehicle master DB 15a, a purchaser master DB 15b, and a coupon master DB 15c. The vehicle master DB 15a holds information necessary for identifying each taxi vehicle 20 to be managed and for communicating with each taxi vehicle 20 . The purchaser master DB 15b contains information necessary for specifying the facility 30 to be managed with which a contract has been made in advance as a purchaser, specifying the location of each facility 30, and communicating with devices in each facility 30. holding The coupon master DB 15c holds information on coupons issued in advance, and also holds information necessary for authenticating the validity of the information on each coupon.

The server 10 is, for example, a computer installed in a predetermined data center and installed with software necessary for using the coupon system 11, and is operated by a business operator that manages the taxi dispatch system 100. The server 10 is connected to the Internet 51 and can also be connected to an LTE (Long Term Evolution) network 52 via the Internet 51 .

The operator of the facility 30 can use the communication service of the coupon system 11 on the server 10, for example, by making a contract in advance. That is, the facility 30 side can communicate with the server 10 using the facility side terminals 31 and 32 owned by the facility 30 side, and use the services of the coupon system 11 . The facility-side terminals 31 and 32 are, for example, general personal computers and smart phones.

Specifically, the facility 30 side can purchase a taxi coupon issued by the coupon system 11 by communicating with the server 10 from the facility terminal 31 or 32 via the Internet 51 . Further, the facility 30 side can receive from the server 10 information such as the estimated time of arrival of the taxi user using the ticket.

In addition, the facility 30 side can use its own system for managing reservations for use by customers (guests, etc.) by incorporating it into the facility side terminal 31, for example. The facility 30 side can also use this system to give a coupon for a taxi to a customer who has made a reservation in advance.

For example, when a customer of the facility 30 uses application software (app) installed on the user terminal 41 to access the system of the facility terminal 31 by communication and makes an accommodation reservation, the facility terminal 31 Coupon information 41 a can be distributed to the user terminal 41 . Also, the facility 30 side can print information equivalent to the coupon information 41a on a paper ticket 42 and hand it over to the customer.

In this embodiment, a two-dimensional code such as a QR code (registered trademark) is used as the form of the coupon code. It can also be delivered as coupon information 41a that can be displayed on the screen of 41.

On the other hand, if the user of the taxi has obtained a taxi coupon ticket in advance, the user can present the coupon ticket information 41a or the paper ticket 42 when boarding the taxi vehicle 20 to obtain the coupon ticket. can be used.

In the taxi dispatch system 100 shown in FIG. 1, it is assumed that a taxi vehicle 20 is equipped with a taximeter 21 and a communication device 22 . This taximeter 21 has a function of reading a coupon presented by a taxi passenger and confirming whether or not it is a legitimate coupon, in addition to the function of a general taximeter.

The communication device 22 has a wireless communication function for connecting with the LTE network 52 . The taximeter 21 can connect to the server 10 on the Internet 51 via the communication device 22 and the LTE network 52 and use the coupon system 11 . Specifically, the use authentication program 13 of the coupon system 11 is used to authenticate the coupon read by the taxi meter 21 .

In addition, the coupon system 11 communicates with the taxi meter 21 to ascertain that the taxi user has used the coupon, and furthermore, determines the current position and destination of the corresponding taxi vehicle 20 and the scheduled travel route of the taxi vehicle 20. is specified, and the scheduled time at which this taxi vehicle 20 arrives at the destination is estimated. Then, the coupon system 11 notifies the facility 30 of the estimated arrival time and the like.

Therefore, an employee or the like of the facility 30 can relatively accurately know the scheduled time of arrival at the facility 30 by the taxi vehicle 20 of the customer visiting the facility 30 for the purpose of lodging or the like. Therefore, the facility 30 can reduce unnecessary waiting time for customer service. In addition, since the customer moves using the taxi vehicle 20, the facility 30 does not need to secure a dedicated transportation vehicle or driver. A customer of the facility 30 can use the taxi vehicle 20 free of charge as a means of transportation from a station or the like to the facility 30 by using a coupon distributed from the facility 30 side in advance. Therefore, even if the facility 30 is located in a geographically inconvenient location, convenience for customers can be improved.

<Configuration example-2>
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing configuration example-2 of the taxi dispatch system 100A according to the embodiment of the present invention.
In the taxi dispatch system 100A shown in FIG. 2, a taxi vehicle 20 is equipped with a taximeter 21A, a communication device 22, and a tablet terminal 23.

The taximeter 21A shown in FIG. 2 has an interface for connecting the communication device 22 and the tablet terminal 23 in addition to the functions of a general taximeter. In addition to the functions of a general tablet terminal, the tablet terminal 23 shown in FIG. It has the function to Further, the tablet terminal 23 has a function of communicating with the server 10 via the taximeter 21A, the communication device 22, and the LTE network 52 in order to use the authentication function of the coupon system 11A.

In the taxi dispatch system 100A of FIG. 2, the database 15A of the coupon system 11A includes a vehicle master DB 15a, a purchaser master DB 15b, a coupon master DB 15c, and a user master DB 15d. This user master DB 15d manages the personal information of each user such as the name of each user grasped by the facility 30 in a state of being linked to the coupon.

The configuration and operation of the taxi dispatch system 100A other than the above are substantially the same as the taxi dispatch system 100 of FIG. In the taxi dispatch system 100A of FIG. 2, the coupon system 11A of the server 10 can notify the facility 30 of the name of the user scheduled to arrive at the facility 30 using the user master DB 15d.

<Configuration example-3>
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing configuration example-3 of the taxi dispatch system 100B according to the embodiment of the present invention.
In the taxi dispatch system 100B shown in FIG. 3, a taxi vehicle 20 has a soft meter 24 and a communication device 22 mounted thereon.

At present, the soft meter 24 does not fall under the category of "taximeter" that is regulated as a "specified measuring instrument" under the Measurement Law, but it is a device capable of performing functions equivalent to those of a "taximeter." . That is, the soft meter 24 shown in FIG. 3 has the same function as the taximeter 21 shown in FIG.

The software meter 24 has a function of calculating the taxi fare by software processing, utilizing information such as the location of the taxi vehicle and the road map obtained by GPS positioning.

The software meter 24 shown in FIG. 3, like the taximeter 21 shown in FIG. It has a function to check In addition, in order to use the authentication function of the coupon system 11, the soft meter 24 is connected to the server 10 via the communication device 22, the LTE network 52, and the Internet 51, and can communicate with the coupon system 11. .
The configuration and operation of the taxi dispatch system 100B other than the above are substantially the same as those of the taxi dispatch system 100 of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the taximeter 21. As shown in FIG. Taximeter 21 constitutes a part of taxi dispatch system 100 .

The taximeter 21 shown in FIG. 4 includes a taximeter body 21a, an operation section 21b, a display section 21c, a vehicle information acquisition section 21d, a meter control section 21e, a coupon reading section 21f, and a GPS receiver 21g.

The taximeter main body 21a is a device that performs the same function as a general taximeter. In other words, it is possible to take in a signal representing the rotation of the wheels from the taxi vehicle side, measure the actual distance traveled, measure the time, and calculate and present the correct taxi fare according to a predetermined fare system.

The operation unit 21b has a large number of buttons that can be operated by the taxi driver, and can be used to give an instruction to the taxi meter to switch the status of the taxi, such as "empty vehicle", "actual vehicle", and "payment".

The display unit 21c can display information such as the current taxi fare calculated by the taximeter body 21a so that the driver and passengers of the taxi can see it.
The vehicle information acquisition unit 21d is an interface for connecting the taxi meter 21 and the taxi vehicle, and can acquire a signal representing wheel rotation from the vehicle side and provide it to the taximeter body 21a.

The meter control unit 21e performs control for realizing functions specific to the taximeter 21. FIG. Specifically, the information on the coupon presented by the passenger is taken in, and communication is performed with the coupon system 11 on the server 10 using the communication device 22 in order to confirm that the coupon is a valid coupon. and transmit information on the current position of the own vehicle to the server 10 together with information that can identify the own vehicle. Examples of the information that can identify the own vehicle include the number of the license plate of the taxi vehicle, the color of the vehicle body, or the name of the taxi company. It contains information that can help identify the vehicle.

The coupon reader 21f is equipped with a camera for reading the content displayed on the screen of the user terminal 41 and the content written on the paper ticket 42, and can process the image taken by this camera to read the QR code. can.

The GPS receiver 21g can receive radio waves from a plurality of GPS satellites and calculate the latitude/longitude representing the current position of the vehicle based on the time information of the received radio waves.
When constructing the taxi dispatch system 100A shown in FIG. 2, some elements of the functions of the taximeter 21 shown in FIG. 4 are mounted on the tablet terminal 23 side. Elements to be newly mounted on the tablet terminal 23 can be incorporated on an existing general tablet terminal as a dedicated application.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the soft meter 24. As shown in FIG. The soft meter 24 forms part of the taxi dispatch system 100B.

The software meter 24 shown in FIG. 5 includes a GPS receiver 24a, a road map DB 24b, a mileage calculation unit 24c, a taxi fare calculation unit 24d, a vehicle information acquisition unit 24e, an operation unit 24f, a display unit 24g, and a coupon reading unit 24h. , and a meter control unit 24i.

The GPS receiver 24a receives radio waves from a plurality of GPS satellites, and can calculate the latitude/longitude, moving direction, moving speed, etc. representing the current position of the own vehicle based on the time information of the received radio waves.

The road map DB 24b holds road map information (including, for example, the contents shown in FIG. 10) for the entire area where the vehicle equipped with the soft meter 24 may travel.

The mileage calculator 24c has a function of calculating the mileage of the taxi vehicle 20 on which the soft meter 24 is mounted, based on the information output from the GPS receiver 24a. For example, the current position on the road can be specified by comparing the latest position information (latitude/longitude) output by the GPS receiver 24a and the position of each road on the road map DB 24b. In addition, the current position on the road is calculated at regular time intervals, and the traveling distance on the road per unit time can be grasped from the amount of change in the calculated current position. In addition, it is also possible to make corrections to improve the accuracy of calculating the traveled distance, for example, by taking into account the moving direction and traveling speed of the host vehicle.

The taxi fare calculation unit 24d calculates the total travel distance calculated by the travel distance calculation unit 24c in the section from the position where the passenger boarded the taxi vehicle 20 and transitioned to the “actual vehicle” state to the current position, the travel time calculated by the clock, And based on a predetermined fare system, calculate an appropriate taxi fare.

The vehicle information acquisition unit 24e can acquire information such as the traveling speed output from the vehicle and transfer the information to the taxi fare calculation unit 24d. The taxi fare calculation unit 24d can improve the accuracy of fare calculation by using the information output by the vehicle. Note that the taxi fare calculation unit 24d can calculate an appropriate taxi fare even without the vehicle information acquisition unit 24e.

The operation unit 24f has a large number of buttons that can be operated by the taxi driver, and gives instructions such as "empty", "actual", and "payment" to switch the state of the taxi, and instructions such as "read coupon". to the soft meter 24.

The display unit 24g can display information such as the current taxi fare calculated by the taximeter body 21a so that the driver and passengers of the taxi can see the information.
The coupon reading unit 24h is equipped with a camera for reading the contents displayed on the screen of the user terminal 41 and the contents written on the paper ticket 42, and can read the QR code by processing the image taken by this camera. can.

The meter control unit 24i performs control for realizing various functions required for the soft meter 24. FIG. That is, in the same manner as in the case of a general taximeter, the state of the taxi such as "vacant", "actual", and "paid" is switched according to the input from the operation unit 24f, and the state is given to the taxi fare calculation unit 24d. Then, an appropriate taxi fare is calculated, and the latest taxi fare is displayed on the display section 24g.

In addition, the meter control unit 24i reads information on the coupon presented by the passenger with the coupon reading unit 24h, and reads the coupon on the server 10 using the communication device 22 in order to confirm that it is a valid coupon. It has a control function for communicating with the system 11 and transmitting information on the current position of the own vehicle to the server 10 together with information that can identify the own vehicle.

<Flow when purchasing coupon tickets - 1>
FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram showing flow-1 at the time of purchasing a coupon ticket when using the taxi dispatch system 100. As shown in FIG. The contents of FIG. 6 will be described below.

An administrator of a facility 30 operates a facility-side terminal 31 to connect to a server 10 to use the service of a coupon system 11 in order to secure taxi coupons to be distributed to customers of the facility in advance. That is, the facility-side terminal 31 performs a procedure for purchasing a coupon for the coupon system 11 on the server 10 (S11). Here, the facility-side terminal 31 transmits a facility-side ID that can specify the position and name of the facility 30 . In addition, information such as the number of coupon tickets that the facility 30 side will purchase this time is also transmitted.

The coupon system 11 on the server 10 issues coupon tickets for the number of tickets purchased by the facility 30 according to the coupon purchase procedure of the facility terminal 31 (S12).

Coupon tickets issued by the coupon system 11 have a unique coupon code for each ticket, section information including the boarding place and destination, available time zone information (start time to end time), and expiration date. It contains the information of (year, month, day) and the remaining number of times available. The "remaining number of available times" is managed so as to decrease each time the coupon is actually used in a taxi.

The coupon system 11 on the server 10 identifies the facility of the purchaser by the facility ID or the like for each of the coupons issued in S12, and identifies the coupon code and the facility of the purchaser (position such as latitude/longitude, facility code, name, etc.) are managed in a linked state (S13).

The coupon system 11 on the server 10 carries out the sales procedure for the coupon issued in S12 (S14), and transmits the coupon code of each issued coupon to the terminal 31 on the facility side.
The facility-side terminal 31 retains and manages the coupon codes of all the coupon tickets purchased from the coupon system 11 .

On the other hand, a customer who intends to use the facility 30 for lodging or the like can access the reservation system of the facility 30 using the user terminal 41 (S15).
A facility-side terminal 31 connected to a reservation system on the facility 30 side receives an accommodation reservation from a customer, and registers and manages the reservation in an accommodation reservation DB 31a.

Further, for example, when the administrator of the facility 30 side determines that it is necessary for an accommodation reservation from a registered customer, the facility side terminal 31 adds one coupon code to the accommodation reservation by the administrator's operation. They are allocated and managed on the lodging reservation DB 31a in a state in which they are associated with each other (S16). Of course, it is also possible to assign coupon codes to customers by automatic computer processing.

When a customer who has made an accommodation reservation accesses the reservation system of the facility 30 using the user terminal 41, the customer can confirm the accommodation reservation registered in the accommodation reservation DB 31a on the screen of the user terminal 41. - 特許庁Here, if a coupon code is assigned to the accommodation reservation, the customer can acquire the coupon code on the confirmation screen of the accommodation reservation (S17). Of course, the facility side terminal 31 side may distribute the coupon code to the customer by attaching it to an e-mail or the like. Alternatively, the coupon code printed on the paper ticket 42 may be mailed to the customer.

A customer who acquires coupons using the user terminal 41 communicates with the coupon system 11 on the server 10 by using an application installed in the user terminal 41 in advance, and confirms the acquired coupons. (S18). In this case, the application on the user terminal 41 transmits the coupon code of the applicable coupon. The coupon system 11 on the server 10 receives and authenticates the coupon code transmitted from the user terminal 41, and when the valid coupon code is successfully authenticated, the information representing the content of the coupon is used. to the user terminal 41. That is, information such as section information including the boarding place and destination assigned to the coupon ticket of the corresponding coupon code, available time zone information, valid usage time limit information, remaining available number of usage times, etc. is sent from the server 10 to the user. It is transmitted to the terminal 41 .

<Flow when purchasing coupon tickets - 2>
FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram showing flow-2 at the time of purchasing a coupon when using the taxi dispatch system 100A. The contents of FIG. 7 will be described below.

The manager of the facility 30 side operates the facility side terminal 31 to connect to the server 10 and uses the service of the coupon system 11 in order to secure the taxi coupons to be distributed to the customers of the facility in advance. . That is, the facility-side terminal 31 performs a procedure for purchasing a coupon for the coupon system 11 on the server 10 (S11). Here, the facility-side terminal 31 transmits a facility-side ID that can specify the position and name of the facility 30 . In addition, information such as the number of coupon tickets that the facility 30 side will purchase this time is also transmitted.

The coupon system 11 on the server 10 issues coupon tickets for the number of tickets purchased by the facility 30 according to the coupon purchase procedure of the facility terminal 31 (S12).

Coupon tickets issued by the coupon system 11 have a unique coupon code for each ticket, section information including the boarding place and destination, available time zone information (start time to end time), and expiration date. It contains the information of (year, month, day) and the remaining number of times available. The "remaining number of available times" is managed so as to decrease each time the coupon is actually used in a taxi.

The coupon system 11 on the server 10 identifies the facility of the purchaser by the facility ID or the like for each of the coupons issued in S12, and identifies the coupon code and the facility of the purchaser (position such as latitude/longitude, facility code, name, etc.) are managed in a linked state (S13).

The coupon system 11 on the server 10 carries out the sales procedure for the coupon issued in S12 (S14), and transmits the coupon code of each issued coupon to the terminal 31 on the facility side.
The facility-side terminal 31 retains and manages the coupon codes of all the coupon tickets purchased from the coupon system 11 .

On the other hand, a customer who intends to use the facility 30 for lodging or the like can access the reservation system of the facility 30 using the user terminal 41 (S15).
A facility-side terminal 31 connected to a reservation system on the facility 30 side receives an accommodation reservation from a customer, and registers and manages the reservation in an accommodation reservation DB 31a.

In addition, for example, when the administrator of the facility 30 side determines that it is necessary for an accommodation reservation from a registered customer, the administrator operates the facility side terminal 31 to add one coupon code to the accommodation reservation. are assigned and managed on the lodging reservation DB 31a in a state in which they are associated with each other (S16). Of course, it is also possible to assign coupon codes to customers by automatic computer processing.

In the operation shown in FIG. 7, the facility-side terminal 31 assigns user information including personal information such as name, among the reservation information of each customer registered in the accommodation reservation DB 31a, to the corresponding customer. It is transmitted to the server 10 together with the ticket code (S01).

The coupon system 11 on the server 10 registers the user information received from the user terminal 41 in the user master DB 15d (S02), and manages the personal information of the user and the coupon code in a linked state. (S03).

Therefore, when the database 15A of the coupon system 11A includes the user master DB 15d as in the taxi dispatch system 100A shown in FIG. can be specified.

Distribution of coupons from the facility 30 side to customers is the same as the operation of FIG. 6 already described. Also, in the same way as the operation shown in FIG. 6, the customer can confirm the information of the received coupon at S18.

FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram showing the flow of processing when a taxi user uses a coupon ticket. The contents of FIG. 8 will be described below.

After the customer of the facility 30 acquires the coupon issued by the coupon system 11 from the facility side terminal 31 or the like, when the customer gets on the taxi vehicle 20 as the user, the user can use the coupon possessed by the customer. The ticket can be presented as coupon information 41a displayed on the user terminal 41 or as a paper ticket 42 (S21).

On the other hand, the taxi meter 21 on the taxi vehicle 20 advances from S22 to S23 when the user gets on the taxi in the "unoccupied" state, and reads the information (for example, QR code) from the coupon ticket presented by the user.

The taximeter 21 transmits the coupon information read in S23 as user information to the coupon system 11 on the server 10 in S24. The user information transmitted here includes information specifying the transmission source taxi vehicle 20 and latitude/longitude information representing the current position of the taxi vehicle 20 (position of boarding place).

The coupon system 11 on the server 10 acquires the user information transmitted from the taxi meter 21 of the taxi vehicle 20 in S25, and then determines whether the taxi can be used (S26) and the boarding area (S27).

In the usability determination in S26, the coupon system 11 grasps the content of the corresponding coupon from the coupon master DB 15c based on the coupon code included in the acquired user information, and authenticates the availability. . For example, the coupon code of the user information matches the issued regular coupon code, the remaining number of times that can be used is 1 or more, it is within the usage period, and the current time is the time period in which it can be used If it is within the range of , it is judged to be usable.

The coupon system 11 proceeds to the process from S26 to S27 when the acquired user information is available. If the acquired user information cannot be used, the process proceeds from S26 to S28, and is processed as a use authentication error.

In the boarding place area determination in S27, the coupon system 11 determines the location information (actual boarding place) of the taxi vehicle 20 at the time when the taxi meter 21 reads the coupon and the information registered in the coupon master DB 15c. By comparing with the section information (boarding place, destination) of the coupon ticket, it is identified whether or not the boarding place can use the coupon ticket. When the coupon system 11 compares the actual boarding place with the section information of the coupon, for example, if the actual boarding place is within a certain distance from the boarding place of the section information, they match. Consider.

The coupon system 11 proceeds to the processing from S27 to S30 when it is determined that the boarding area can be used. Also, if it is determined that the boarding area is not available, the process proceeds from S27 to S29, and an area determination error is processed.

The coupon system 11 performs a predetermined "server process" in S30. This "server processing" will be described later in detail.
The server 10 transmits the result of authentication processing of the coupon to the taxi meter 21 of the relevant taxi vehicle 20 together with the information assigned to the coupon (destination, remaining available number of times, etc.) (S31).

The taxi meter 21 on the taxi vehicle 20 receives the result of the coupon authentication process from the server 10 (S32), and identifies whether or not the corresponding coupon can be used.
When the driver of the taxi vehicle 20 presses the "actual vehicle" button on the operation unit 21b of the taximeter 21, the taximeter 21 detects the input operation and transitions to the "actual vehicle" state. Then, the taximeter 21 notifies the server 10 of information indicating that the state has changed to the "actual vehicle" state (S33).

If the information received from the server 10 confirms that the ticket is available, the taxi meter 21 displays on the screen information representing the destination included in the section information of the ticket (S34). ).

On the other hand, when the coupon system 11 on the server 10 receives the information indicating that the taxi meter 21 on the taxi vehicle 20 has switched to the "actual vehicle" state at S35, the taxi user information i36 is sent to the facility at S36. The side terminal 31 is notified.

The information i36 that the ticket system 11 notifies to the terminal 31 on the facility side includes the ticket code or user name, information on the taxi company and vehicle of the taxi vehicle 20 that the user boarded, and the time required to reach the destination. It includes expected travel time or expected arrival time, boarding point information, and the like.

The facility-side terminal 31 can receive the information i36 transmitted by the coupon system 11 on the server 10 in S37 and display it on the screen.
Therefore, from the information i36 displayed on the facility side terminal 31, the manager of the facility 30 side can relatively accurately grasp the schedule of the customer using the coupon ticket before arriving at the facility 30 in the taxi vehicle 20.例文帳に追加can. Therefore, when the facility 30 side provides customer service, etc., accurate schedule management becomes possible, and extra waiting time for waiting for the arrival of customers can be reduced.

In the case of the taxi dispatch system 100A shown in FIG. 2, by combining the function of the tablet terminal 23 and the function of the taximeter 21A, the same operation as the taximeter 21 shown in FIG. 8 can be realized. In the case of the taxi dispatch system 100B shown in FIG. 3, the same operation as the taxi meter 21 shown in FIG. 8 can be realized by the function of the soft meter 24. FIG.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing an operation example of the server 10 . That is, FIG. 9 shows a specific example of "server processing" in S30 in FIG. The processing of FIG. 9 will be described below.

The coupon system 11 on the server 10 reverse-geocodes the location information (latitude/longitude) of the boarding point received from the taxi meter 21 on the taxi vehicle 20, that is, the GPS information, to determine the location of the boarding point on the road map. is specified (S41). For example, when the user gets on the taxi vehicle 20 near a certain station, based on a database such as map information prepared in advance, such as the building of the station, which is the target of the boarding place, the address of the station, etc. Identify.

The coupon system 11 searches the road map database for an appropriate travel route for the taxi vehicle 20 to travel between the place of boarding specified in S41 and the destination (S42). The location of the destination can be acquired from the purchaser master DB 15b as the location of the purchaser's facility 30 linked to the coupon code.

The coupon system 11 estimates the time required for the taxi vehicle 20 to travel from the boarding point to the destination based on the travel route determined by the search in S42 (S43). For example, if a table showing the relationship between the place of boarding, the destination, and the required time is prepared in advance, the required time can be specified by searching the table. Also, the required time can be calculated based on the section distance of the corresponding travel route, the past average travel speed of the taxi vehicle 20, and the like.

The coupon system 11 identifies the presence or absence of the user master DB 15d at S44. Then, if the user master DB 15d does not exist, the process proceeds to S45, and the coupon code is output as the information specifying the user. If the user master DB 15d exists, the process proceeds to S46, the user associated with the coupon code is identified from the user master DB 15d, and the user name is output as information identifying the user.

Therefore, if the user master DB 15d exists in the coupon system 11 on the server 10, the user name should be included in the information i36 that the coupon system 11 notifies to the facility side terminal 31 in S36 of FIG. can be done.

FIG. 10 is a plan view showing an example of a moving route on a road map. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing an operation example of the taxi dispatch system.

In the example shown in FIG. 10, one railway station ST and one hotel, which is one of the facilities 30, are included in the area of this road map. Therefore, a user who uses the facility 30 can get on the taxi vehicle 20 at the station ST and move to the facility 30 .

In that case, the coupon system 11 is configured as shown in FIG. The route retrieved in S42 can be notified to the driver of the taxi vehicle 20 via the taximeter 21.

A user who has boarded the taxi vehicle 20 at the station ST can present coupon information 41a using an application installed in the user terminal 41, as shown in FIG. 11, for example. The taxi meter 21 on the taxi vehicle 20 can acquire the coupon information 41b corresponding to the coupon information 41a by reading the QR code included in the coupon information 41a using a camera, for example.

The coupon system 11 on the server 10 authenticates the coupon information 41b read by the taxi meter 21, and when it is confirmed that the coupon is a legitimate coupon, the taxi meter 21 sends the coupon to the user. Used for taxi fare payment.

In addition, the coupon system 11 grasps the position of the taxi vehicle 20 when the user presents the coupon as the place of boarding, and uses the position of the facility 30 of the purchaser linked to the coupon code as the destination. Then, the traveling route of the taxi vehicle 20 from the place of boarding to the destination is searched.

Further, when the taxi meter 21 of the taxi vehicle 20 in which the user has boarded is in the "actual vehicle" state, useful information on the facility 30 side is notified to the facility side terminal 31. - 特許庁In the example of FIG. 11, the notification message MSG sent from the ticket system 11 to the terminal 31 on the facility side includes the name of the user "Mr. and the expected required time to arrive at the facility 30, "X minutes to arrival".

If the user master DB 15d does not exist on the coupon system 11, the facility-side terminal 31 is notified of the coupon code instead of "Mr. The system on the facility 30 side, for example, grasps the relationship between each customer and the coupon code assigned to that person on the accommodation reservation DB 31a, and identifies the corresponding customer (taxi user) can be identified.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be modified, improved, etc. as appropriate. In addition, the material, shape, size, number, location, etc. of each component in the above-described embodiment are arbitrary and not limited as long as the present invention can be achieved.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, only the case where the coupon system 11 handles coupon tickets has been described, but taxi tickets can be handled instead of coupon tickets by similar processing. In the case of a coupon ticket, it can be used multiple times, and the boarding and alighting places that can be used, the expiration date, and the time period that can be used are determined in advance. On the other hand, in the case of a taxi ticket, it can be used only once, and there is no designation of the available boarding and alighting places. Therefore, the "ticket code" described in this specification may be a coupon ticket for using a taxi or a unique ID that can individually identify each of the taxi tickets.

For example, in the example shown in FIG. 6, when the facility 30 side purchases a coupon ticket, the code of the coupon ticket issued by the server 10 in S13 is associated with the facility 30 of the purchase destination. After purchasing the ticket, the server 10 may be accessed from the facility-side terminal 31 to associate the code of the coupon with the facility 30 of the purchase destination.

The facilities 30 to which the taxi dispatch system 100 provides services are not limited to lodging facilities such as hotels and inns, but also facilities such as restaurants that can improve services by grasping customer arrival times in advance. is also assumed.

The information that the server 10 notifies to the facility-side terminal 31 is not limited to the content of the notification message MSG shown in FIG. 11, and various types of information are assumed. For example, if the facility side terminal 31 is notified of taxi company/vehicle information like information i36 in FIG. It becomes possible to easily determine whether a customer is on board, and the convenience is enhanced.
Whether or not the facility 30 registers the customer information as the user master DB 15d in the coupon system 11 may be changed as necessary.

Even if the facility 30 side does not register customer information in the user master DB 15d of the coupon system 11, the coupon system 11 can be managed by linking the customer and the coupon code in the system of the facility 30 side. The customer's name, etc. can be grasped from the notified coupon code. In that case, the facility 30 does not need to transmit the customer's personal information to the outside (server), so safe management of personal information is facilitated.

Also, when the facility 30 registers customer information in the user master DB 15d of the coupon system 11, the facility 30 needs to construct a system for linking the coupon code and the customer's personal information. Therefore, the equipment cost on the facility 30 side can be reduced.

Characteristics of the taxi server device and the taxi dispatch system described above are summarized and listed briefly in the following [1] to [5].
[1] A coupon code issuing unit (ticket system 11 , S12) and
a communication unit (ticket system 11, S25) capable of communicating with equipment in the taxi (taximeter 21, tablet terminal 23, or software meter 24);
a code authentication unit (a coupon system 11, S26) that authenticates the legitimacy of a coupon code received from a device in a taxi via the communication unit;
A time notification unit (a time notification unit ( Coupon ticket system 11, S36),
A taxi server device (server 10).

According to the taxi server device having the configuration [1] above, it is possible for the receiving facility to distribute coupon tickets and taxi tickets that can be used by customers who use the receiving facility to customers who make reservations. Therefore, customers who make reservations can use taxis as a highly convenient means of transportation. In addition, since the receiving facility side can grasp the expected arrival time of the reserved customer with high accuracy, it becomes easy to reduce unnecessary waiting time for customer service or the like. In addition, it is possible to eliminate the use of illicit coupon tickets.

[2] including a user information management unit (user master DB 15d) that acquires and holds user information of the taxi user in advance from the terminal of the receiving facility;
The time notification unit acquires from the user information management unit the specific user information linked to the valid coupon code successfully authenticated by the code authentication unit, and notifies it together with the expected time (S46, S36). ),
The taxi server device according to [1] above.

According to the taxi server device having the above configuration [2], the receiving facility can specify the customer to whom the arrival schedule has been notified, so that it becomes easier to provide more appropriate customer service for each customer. In addition, the receiving facility can reduce the installation cost of the systems required for customer management and coupon code management.

[3] Taxi equipment (taximeter 21, tablet terminal 23, or software meter 24) placed in the taxi,
A facility-side device (facility-side terminal 31) that can be used by a reception facility that accepts taxi users;
a server (10) capable of communicating between the equipment in the taxi and the equipment on the facility side;
has
a first transmission processing unit (S14) for transmitting a coupon code issued by the server to the facility-side device in response to a request from the facility-side device;
a second transmission processing unit (S17) for transmitting the coupon code received by the facility-side device from the server to the user of the receiving facility;
a code authentication unit (S26) that, when the equipment in the taxi acquires the coupon code from the taxi user, authenticates the legitimacy of the corresponding coupon code on the server side;
a time notification unit (S36) for notifying at least the estimated time of arrival of the applicable taxi at the destination to the terminal of the applicable receiving facility for the valid coupon code successfully authenticated by the code authentication unit;
taxi dispatch system.

According to the taxi dispatch system having the above configuration [3], it is possible for the receiving facility to distribute coupon tickets and taxi tickets that can be used by customers who use the receiving facility to customers who make reservations. Therefore, customers who make reservations can use taxis as a highly convenient means of transportation. In addition, since the receiving facility can grasp the expected arrival time of the reserved customer with high accuracy, it becomes easy to reduce unnecessary waiting time for customer service. In addition, it is possible to eliminate the use of illicit coupon tickets.

[4] The facility-side device permits the distribution of a coupon code associated with the location of the receiving facility in response to a visit reservation to the receiving facility received from any user.
The taxi dispatch system described in [3] above.

According to the taxi dispatch system configured in [4] above, the receiving facility can efficiently distribute coupon codes only to customers who are actually planning to use the facility. Therefore, it is possible to secure a highly convenient means of transportation that can be used when a customer who has made a reservation visits a receiving facility, and to suppress unnecessary purchases of coupon tickets that are not used by the customers to whom the tickets are distributed.

[5] The time notification unit determines whether the relevant taxi arrives at the destination based on the information specifying the taxi vehicle linked to the coupon code, the location information of the taxi vehicle, and the location information of the receiving facility. Calculate the expected time of arrival (S41-S43),
A taxi dispatch system according to the above [3] or [4].

According to the taxi dispatch system configured in [5] above, it is possible to calculate the required time based on a prior understanding of the scheduled travel route and travel distance of the taxi vehicle. I can notify you.

10 Server 11 Coupon System 12 Route Search Program 13 Use Authentication Program 14 Notification Delivery Program 15 Database 15a Vehicle Master DB
15b Supplier master DB
15c Coupon master DB
15d User master DB
20 Taxi vehicle 21, 21A Taximeter 21a Taximeter body 21b Operation unit 21c Display unit 21d Vehicle information acquisition unit 21e Meter control unit 21f Coupon reading unit 21g GPS receiver 22 Communication device 23 Tablet terminal 24 Soft meter 24a GPS receiver 24b Road map DB
24c travel distance calculation unit 24d taxi fare calculation unit 24e vehicle information acquisition unit 24f operation unit 24g display unit 24h coupon reading unit 24i meter control unit 30 facilities 31, 32 facility side terminal 31a accommodation reservation DB
41 User terminal 41a Coupon information 42 Paper ticket 51 Internet 52 LTE network 60 Road map 61 Road 62 Travel route 100, 100A, 100B Taxi dispatch system MSG Notification message Ps Boarding place Pe Destination ST Station

Claims (5)

a coupon code issuing unit for issuing a coupon code for using a taxi or a coupon code including information capable of identifying the location of a reception facility that accepts taxi users;
a communication unit capable of communicating with equipment in a taxi;
a code authentication unit that authenticates the legitimacy of the coupon code received from the device in the taxi via the communication unit;
a time notifying unit for notifying at least the estimated time of arrival of the applicable taxi at the destination to the terminal of the relevant receiving facility for the valid coupon code successfully authenticated by the code authenticating unit;
A taxi server device comprising: a user information management unit that acquires and holds user information of the taxi user in advance from the terminal of the receiving facility;
The time notification unit acquires from the user information management unit specific user information linked to a valid coupon code successfully authenticated by the code authentication unit, and notifies the information together with the expected time.
The taxi server device according to claim 1 . In-taxi equipment arranged in the taxi,
A facility-side device that can be used by a reception facility that accepts taxi users,
a server capable of communicating between the equipment in the taxi and the equipment on the facility side;
has
a first transmission processing unit for transmitting a coupon code issued by the server to the facility device in response to a request from the facility device;
a second transmission processing unit for transmitting the coupon code received by the facility-side device from the server to the user of the receiving facility;
a code authentication unit that, when the device in the taxi acquires the coupon code from the taxi user, authenticates the legitimacy of the corresponding coupon code on the server side;
a time notifying unit for notifying at least the estimated time of arrival of the applicable taxi at the destination to the terminal of the relevant receiving facility for the valid coupon code successfully authenticated by the code authenticating unit;
taxi dispatch system. The facility-side device permits distribution of a coupon code associated with the location of the corresponding receiving facility for a visit reservation to the receiving facility received from any user.
A taxi dispatch system according to claim 3. The time notification unit predicts that the corresponding taxi will arrive at the destination based on the information specifying the taxi vehicle linked to the coupon code, the location information of the taxi vehicle, and the location information of the receiving facility. calculate the time,
A taxi dispatch system according to claim 3 or 4.

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